Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the notice to proceed with the HS2 project has been delayed.

lord framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the contracts for carrying out the major construction works for HS2 will be signed.

lord framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to start work on bridges and tunnels on the HS2 project.

lord framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that HS2 will cost twice its original estimate, what steps they are taking to conduct an urgent review of its costs to date; and whether they will publish the results of that review.

baroness sugg: The HS2 Phase One Main Civil Contracts were signed in July 2017 and Phase One design development and enabling works are continuing to progress. Notice to Proceed is the formal contractual process which enables each Phase One supplier to move from design and development to construction. HS2 Ltd has advised the Government that it intends for Notice to Proceed to take place later in 2019 to allow it to finalise costs and plans with its contracted suppliers. Full construction of bridges and tunnels will commence following award of Notice to Proceed. Essential works to prepare the route for this stage are well underway, with over 60 active sites, including major works at Euston, Old Oak Common, Curzon Street and Washwood Heath. Expenditure on HS2 to date is set out in the Annual Report and Accounts of HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport. The Government has committed to update Parliament on HS2’s progress at least once a year. The Phase One Full Business Case, planned for publication later in 2019, will include an updated estimate of cost and schedule and an accompanying assessment of benefits.

Highway Code

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given, as part of their review of the Highway Code, to changing fromthe current position whereall road users are deemed to have equal responsibility to a hierarchy of responsibility so those categories of users who cause the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility for reducing the dangers that they pose to others.

baroness sugg: On 22 November 2018, the Government published a two-year action plan and response to the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) Safety Review Call for Evidence. This made clear its commitment to the hierarchy of road users.Included within CWIS SR action plan is a commitment to review the guidance in The Highway Code to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. We are currently agreeing the scope and delivery of this review, and would expect the hierarchy of road users to fall within scope. The review will be conducted in consultation with the Department's stakeholders, according to its usual practice.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

baroness brady: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology is used only to detect and deter criminal activity rather than to enable the generation of parking fines.

baroness sugg: The Government has prohibited the use of CCTV and ANPR for local authority on-street parking enforcement since 2015 under the Deregulation Act 2015 and the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2015. For reasons of child safety and congestion management, parking restrictions near schools, on red routes, in bus lanes, and at bus stand clearways are exempt from this ban. As part of its work to improve the safety of cycling, the Government intends to introduce another exemption that will enable the use of approved camera devices for enforcing parking restrictions in mandatory cycle lanes.